PEER SPECIALIST

1
PEER SPECIALIST

• Consumer Workgroup
• Proposal

2
Introduction

• SAMHSA Grant
• Consumer Workgroup
• Agenda for todays meeting
• Discuss peer specialist roles at the Brattleboro
  Retreat
• Goals
• Approval for 2 peer specialist positions at the
  Brattleboro Retreat

3
What is a Peer Specialist?

• Someone defined as a peer who currently or
  formerly received mental health services and self
  identifies as a person living in recovery with a
  mental illness

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Why a Peer Specialist?

• Growing increasingly common in acute care
  settings Brattleboro Retreat has always been on
  the cutting edge of new and innovative treatment
  modalities
• Playing vital roles in helping to transform
  hospital to more recovery-oriented environments
• Benefits to Patient
• Benefits to Staff
• Consumer Movement

5
Recovery Model (www.SAMHSA.gov 2004)

• 10 Fundamental Components of Recovery
• Self-Direction
• Individualized and person centered
• Empowerment
• Holistic
• Non-linear
• Strength-based
• Peer support
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Hope

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Job Description/Qualifications

• Job Description
• A Peer Specialist is a person with a mental
  illness experience who helps others diagnosed
  with mental illnesses. The role of the Peer
  Specialist is to promote wellness and to support
  people in achieving their chosen goals. The Peer
  Specialist provides support to patients during
  the admission process, attending treatment team
  meetings, helping patients identify their
  strengths, assisting patients to avert crises and
  de-briefing patients following a restraint or
  crisis event and providing emotional support,
  modeling recovery and giving people hope that
  recovery is possible.
• Job Qualifications
• - a personal experience as a recipient of mental
  health services. Past hospitalizations helpful.
  History of recovery and willingness to disclose
• -An understanding of and commitment to the
  SAMHSA recovery principles
• -Basic knowledge and understanding of mental
  health and community resources
• -Demonstrated ability to support patients and
  model self-advocacy
• -Strong organizational skills and ability to
  manage multiple tasks and priorities
• -Good written and verbal communication shills
• -WRAP trained recommended
• -Bachelors degree and/or 5 yrs. experience
  working with recipients of mental health services
• -An ability to establish trusting relationships
  with peers, including excellent interpersonal
  skills

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Job Description (cont.)

• Job Responsibilities
• -Individual contact with patients at admission
  or as close to admission as possible and prior to
  discharge
• -Conducts individual debriefings with patients
  after incidents
• -Collaborates with unit staff and supervisors to
  ensure a participatory process for patients and
  their treatment Understands and is able to
  communicate unit rules to patients in a manner
  that is supportive and respectful to patients and
  hospital policies
• -Assist patients in developing and review
  hospital after care crisis/safety plans
• - Adheres to all policies and procedures of the
  Brattleboro Retreat
• - Reinforces patient safety plan or therapeutic
  intervention survey
• -Articulates and interprets to staff how person
  with mental illness may be experiencing treatment
• - Promotes a culture of recovery through ongoing
  trainings for staff and a weekly groups for
  patients
• - Participate in treatment team meetings
• -Work with patients at risk for crises
• - Address minor complaints
• -Help develop hospital policies

8
Data Review

• POCs- Reviewed POC data from June 2009 May
  2010. Question 5 Were you involved as much as
  you wanted in decisions about your treatment
  overall scored the lowest (ranging from
  48.25-78.6 satisfaction) of all questions on the
  POC.
• Seclusion and Restraint Data for Adolescent and
  Childrens inpatient units-Of 177 SRs 71
  happened on day shift, 104 on 2nd shift and 2 on
  3rd shift.
• Admission rates per day- T3 from Jan Nov 2010
  saw an average of 39 admissions per month or 1.2
  admissions per day. Osgood 1 had an average of 17
  admissions per month or 0.6 admission rate per
  day
• Time of day/ Day of SR during hospitalization
  most happened in middle and towards the end of
  hospitalization (slightly more than 50). We had
  made the assumption that most SRs happened
  early in a patients admission

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Conclusion/Next Steps

• Evidence and data supports peer specialists in
  inpatient settings.
• Creates increased patient satisfaction, improves
  overall hope and recovery and would reduce
  seclusion and restraint rates even further.
• Continue to further develop consumer advisory
  council
• Consumer workgroup is committed to working
  closely and supporting the Retreat with the
  development, implementation and monitoring of
  these positions

10
Questions?